Reversing mechanism



Dec. 8, 1924. 1,518,878

J. R. SPENCER REVERSING MECHANI SM Filed Feb. 16, 1920 FIG .1

'HITNESSES 2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. SPENCER, 0J3 ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HOGAN-SPENCER- WHITLEY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

REVERSING MECHANISM.

Application filed February To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Improvement in Reversing Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to reversing mechanisms and more particularly to that type of reversing mechanism in which an automatically operated double clutch device is utilized.

Many reversing mechanisms now in use are likely to, and do get out of order very easily and the main object of my invention is to provide a reversing mechanism and timing device therefor minus those elements which are prone to become out of order and require attention so frequently as to be a source of trouble to the user.

A further object is to provide a reversing mechanism in Which each moving part is rotated steadily, smoothly and consistently at a given speed and in which no gears or gear segments or other rotating parts having jerky, intermittent or variable speeds are used.

A still further object is to provide a reversing mechanism, with timing features,

which is sturdy, simple and eflicient and which is relatively cheap to manufacture and easy to assemble, requiring no accurate timing of the gears as is the case with many of the devices on the market.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view and vertical section of a driving and'reversing mechanism embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thru the reversing mechanism, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the reversing mechanism shown less distinctly in Fig. 1.

The drawings illustrate the mechanism applied to a washing machine in which the reversible main shaft 4 for the machine cylinder or drum is journaled in a bearing 5. The tub 6 which surrounds the cylinder is provided with asuitable frame 7, and an electric motor '8, having its bed plate 9 secured to a cross member 10 of the frame, drives, thru reduction gearing in box 11, a vertical shaft 12 which is con? nected at its upper end to a wringer (not shown);

. b e g ar fixed y mo nted on shaft 16, 1920. Serial No. 359,050.

12, meshes with a bevel gear 15 which is fixedly mounted on shaft 16, journaled in bearings 17 and 18 in a gear box 19 of which bearing 5 is an integral part.

Two bevel pinions, 20 and 21, are confined at definite positions on shaft 16 but are loose thereon and enmeshed with a gear 22 fixedly mounted on shaft 4 and these pinions are arranged to be alternately and selectively rotated by shaft 16 by means of a shift-able clutch 23 which is feathered to shaft 16. The opposite ends of clutch 23 are provided with jaws 24 and 25 adapted to cooperate respectively with opposing jaws 26 and 27 on the faces of pinions 20 and 21.

Clutch 23 is reduced in diameter at its center and an operating lever 28, pivoted at 29 to box 19, engages the reduced portion of the clutch whereby, as lever 28 is shifted to one side or the other, one of pinions 20 or 21 will be locked to shaft 16 thereby driving gear 22 and shaft 4 in the direction determined by the locked pinion.

In washing machines of the type illustrated, it is desirable to have the cylinder or drum revolve a certain number of times in one direction and then make the same number of revolutions in the opposite direction and in order to do this automatically, I provide an arm pivoted soas to be moved either way toward and from a central, neutral position and cooperating means adapted to receive and store energy when the arm 'is moved from either side to the central position and to expend that energy in continuing the movement of the arm beyond the central position. The initial, energy producing movement is provided by gear 22 and the expenditure of the energy is utilized to shift clutch 23 and reverse the direction of rotation of gear 22 and accordingly the machine cylinder or drum.

An arm 31 is pivoted on a reduced portion of bearing 5. To receive and store energy when arm 31 is moved from an extreme position to its central position, I provide its swinging end with a weight- 34;. To move arm 31 to its central position is the. function. of sun and planet gears 30 and 32 respectively. Sun gear 30 is integral with main gear 22 and concentric there-. with. Planet gear 32 is rotatably mounted on arm 31 and meshes with sun gear 30. It is essential in my device that the number of teeth in gears 30 and 32' differ and in,

my preferred construction I provide the sun gear with 13 teeth and the planet gear with 11 teeth.

On gear 32 there is a lug 36 which extends beyond the face of the gear and towards the face of gear 22. The adjacent face of gear 22 is provided with a stop 37 spaced from the center of gear 22 the same distance, approximately, as lug 36 when the latter has rotated to its position nearest the rim of gear 22 as shown in Fig. 3. For every revolution of gear 22, including sun gear and stop 37, planetgear 32 will revolve once in the opposite direction and two teeth further. This provision eventually brings stop 37 and lug 36 in contact with each other and Fig. 3 shows such contact which obviously producesv a locked relation of gear 22,v sun gear 30 and planet gear 32 and moves the latter along with gear 22 and this movement is necessarily accompanied by movement of arm 31 and weight 34.

The free end of arm 31 is-provided with a bar 33 having stops 39 and at its opposite ends and this bar comprises a lost motion connection between arm 31 and clutch operating lever 28.

If the movement of gear 22 in the direction of arrow B is continued, the movement of arm 31 will raise weight 3% until arm 31 is vertical and a little further. Weight 34: will then fall to the right, moving arm 31 and bar 38. Stop 40 on the latter will engage lever 28 and shift the latter on its pivot 29 to release pinion 21 from shaft 16 and lock pinion 20 to same. This reverses the direction of rotation of gear 22 and the machine cylinder. Stop 37 moves away from lug 36 and upon its next passage of planet gear 32 the unequal number of teeth in the I sun and planet gears will have'moved ing 36 out of the path of stop 31. Near the end of the fifth revolution (with 13 and 11 teeth respectively in the sun and planet gears) stop 37 will again contact with lug 36, but on the opposite side from that shown in Fig. 3, again locking arm 31 to gear 22 and shifting clutch 23 thru stop 39 on bar 38. This cycle is repeated as long as it is desired to drive the reversible shaft and gear with any mechanism attached thereto.

It will be noted that the variation, of two teeth in the number of teeth in the sun and planet gears affords a choice of either four or five revolutions of the main shaft i before reversal, dependin upon the relative positions of lug 36 anc stop 37 when the gears are assembled.

It will be, seen that the device is extremely simple and is practically fool proof. The sun and planet gears, lug 36 and stop 37 may be made sturdy enough to stand all the strains which may be encountered. Since the weighted arm-is moved by a stop on gear 22 as well as by gear 30, the weight may be made heavy enough to easily and positively throw the clutch from neutral to pinion looking position. It will be understood that the number of teeth in gears 30 and 32 may be varied as desired and that other energy storing means besides weighted arm 31 may be used, either supplementary or substitutionally. The construction of the device is such that the gears may be suitably packed with grease in order to provide proper lubrication and the whole construction is adapted to cheap manufacturing methods and ineX- pensive assembling. It is to be understood that this device is not only adapted for washing machines but may be applied to any mechanism requiring an automatic reversing device.

I claim 1. The combination with a reversible gear of a shaft pinions loosely mounted on said shaft and geared to said gear, a shiftable clutch adapted to lock either of said pinions to said shaft, an arm and an arm actuating element adapted to move said arm either way from a central position, a lost motion connection between said arm and said clutch, a timing gear rigid with said reversible gear, a second timing gear mounted on said arm and meshing with said first mentioned timing gear, a stop on said reversible gear and a contacting lug on said second timing gear adapted, upon contact, to lock said second timing gear against rotation upon its axis and to move said arm to a central position from whence its movement by said element will shift said clutch.

2. In a driving and reversing mechanism, a reversible shaft, a gear secured to said shaft, oinions geared thereto for rotating said gear and shaft in opposite directions, a shiftab-le clutch for controlling the operations of said pinions, an element for reversing said clutch, an arm having a lost motion connection to said element, a planet gear carried by said arm, a sun gear rigidly connected to said reversible shaftand meshing with said planet gear, and means for preventing periodically the rotation of said planet gear about its center whereby said arm will be moved and by means of said lost motion connection will shift said clutch.

'3. The combination with a driven g .ar, of two drive pinions geared thereto, a power shaft, av clutch for alternately locking said pinions to said shaft, a lever for operating said. clutch, an arm having lost motion connection to said lever, a sun gear rotatable with said driven gear and a planet gear mounted on said arm and meshing with said sun gear, said planet gear having a lug and said driven gear having a stop adapted to engage said lug.

l. The combination with a driven gear, two drive pinions geared thereto, a, power shaft, a clutch for locking said pinions alice all)

ternately to said shaft, a lever for operating said clutch, an arm having a lost motion connection with said lever, a sun gear rotatable with said driven gear, a planet gear meshed with said sun gear and provided with a different number of teeth than said sun gear, a lug on said planet gear and a stop on said driven gear whose path of movement intersects the path of movement of said lug.

5. The combination with a reversible shaft, of a shaft pinions loosely mounted on said shaft and geared to the reversible shaft, a clutch device for alternately looking said pinions to their shaft, means adapted to move from a neutral position to reverse said clutch device. meshed driving and driven timing gears for determining thenumber of revolutions of the reversible gear before reversal, and means on said reversible gear and one of said timing gears for moving said reversing means to a new tral position.

6. The combination with a reversible shaft and gear, of a power shaft pinions loosely mounted on said shaft geared to said reversible gear, a shiftable clutch feathered to said power shaft and adapted to engage either of said pinions, a lever for IIIOVlIlg' said clutch, a device having lost motion connection with said lever, a timing gear mounted on said device, a second timing gear rigid with said reversible gear, a stop on said reversible gear and a lug on said first timing gear arranged to periodically contact with said stop so that said first timing gear will be locked against rotation about its center and said device carried by the reversible gear until energy is stored in said device for operating said lever to shift said clutch.

7. The combination with a reversible shaft and gear, of a shaft, pinions loosely mounted thereon and geared to the reversible gear, a clutch device for alternately locking said pinions to their shaft. means for holding stored energy for reversing said clutch device, timing gears for determining the number of revolutions of the reversible gear before reversal of said clutch device and elements on said reversible and one of said timing gears for moving said means into neutral position thereby producing the energy required for reversing said clutch.

The combination of a reversible shaft and gear, of a shaft, pinions loosely mounted on said shaft and meshing with the reversible gear, a clutch, device for alternately locking said loose gears to their shaft, a weight adapted to fall from a new tral, raised position and shift said clutch device. a driving timing gear and a driven. timing gear meshed therewith for determining the number of revolutions of the rereversible shaft, a member versible gear before reversal, and means on said reversible gear and said timing gears for raising said weight to neutral position.

9. Timing means for reversing mechanism comprising a pair of oppositely rotatable lugs or stops revolving about parallel axes, the line of travel of the first of said lugs or stops coinciding in part with the line of travel of the second of said lugs or steps, whereby said lugs or stops meet at predetermined intervals. I

10. Timing means for reversing mechanism com n'ising a rotatable member revolving about a given axis, a second rotat able member revolving about aparallel axis, the line of travel of the first rotatable member coinciding in part with the line of travel of said second rotatable member whereby said members meet at predetermined intervals.

11. In a reversing mechanism, the combination of a reversible shaft, a gear rotatable with said shaft, a stop on said gear, a second gear rotatable with said shaft, an oscillating support pivoted on said shaft, a third gear mount-ed on said support and meshing with said second gear, a lug on said third gear, said second and third gears having a difference in the numbers of their respective teeth whereby said stop and lug meet after a plurality of revolutions of said shaft, causing said pivoted sup-port to swing about said shaft, and means actuated by said support whereby the direction of rotation of said shaft is reversed.

12. Reversing mechanism comprising a reversible shaft, a member pivoted on said shaft, a pair of oppositely rotatable lugs or stops, the line of travel of the first of said lugs or steps having a point of contact with the line of travel of the second of said lugs or steps whereby said lugs or steps meet at predetermined intervals, an operable connection between said lugs or stops and said pivoted member whereby said member is swung about said shaft, and means actuated by said member whereby the direction of rotation of said shaft is reversed.

13. Reversing mechanism comprising a pivoted on said shaft, a driven gear rotatably mounted on said member, a lug on said gear, a stop traveling in the same plane but in opposite directions to said lug, a point of contact between said lug and said stop whereby the rotation of said lug is halted at predetermined intervals causing said member to swing about said shaft, and means actuated by said member whereby the direction of rotation of said shaft is reversed.

let. In combination with a driving and reversing mechanism, two members moved by said mechanism at different speeds, and through paths of travel that coincide in part, whereby said elements periodically move into contact and move jointly, andmeans actuated by the joint movement of said elements for reversing said mechanism.

15. A driving and reversing mechanism comprising a driven gear, a drive shaft, driving gears loosely mounted on said shaft and meshingwith. said driven gear, and a clutch for locking one or the other of said driving gears to said shaft, in combination with a clutch-operating device, a lug carried by the driven gear, a second lug actuated by the driven gear through path of travel which co-incides in part with said first-mentioned lug whereby they contact and move together, and means actuated by the joint movement of said lugs for actuat- Zing said clutch-operating device.

16. In combination in a reversing mechanism, a rotatable member adapted to be pe riodically reversed, a stop carried thereby, a second stop moved constantly during-the operation of said mechanism in a direction opposite to that of the first stop and in a path which coincides in part with the path of the first mentioned stop.wl1ereby said stops periodically contact and move jointly, and means operated by the joint motion of said stops for reversing the rotation of said member.

17. In combination reversing mechanism, adapted tobe periodically reversed, a pair of stops, means driven by said mechanism for moving said stops continuously during the operation of said mechanism in differ ent directions, at difterent speeds and in paths that inpart overlap, whereby said stops periodically contact and move jointly in the same direction, and means actuated by joint motion of said stops for actuatingsaid mechanism,

18. In combination with a driving and reversing mechanism, a rotatable member, a stop carried thereby, a second rotatable member driven by said mechanism at different speeds from said first member, a stop carried thereby and solocated that its path of travel coincides in part with the path of travel of the first member whereby said stops periodically contact and move jointly in the same d'-'ection, and means actuated by contact of said stops for actuating said mocha nism.

l9. In combination in a reversing mechanism, a stoprotated constantly during the operation of. said mechanism about a fixed axis, a second stop rotated constantly by said mechanism about a movable in a path of travel whiclrcoincides in part with the path of travel of the first stop, and means actuated by contact of said stops for reversing said mechanism.

20. In combination with a rotatable member of a reversing mechanism, a stop carried with a driving and a rotatable memberby said member, a gear movable with said member, a second gear meshing therewith but having a different number of teeth, a lug carried by said second gear and moved thereby through a path of travel which coincides in part with the path of travel of said stop, and means actuated by contact of said stop and lug for reversing said mechanism.

21. In combination with a rotatable member, and a reversing mechanism, of a timing meansfor said reversing mechanism comprising a pair of oppositely rotatable lugs or stops, the line of travel of one ofsaid lugs orjstops coinciding in part with the line of travel of the other, whereby said lugs or stops move into contact after a plurality of revolutionsand then move jointly in the same direction, and means movable by the motion of said lug and stop for actua g said reversingmechanism to reverse said rotatable member.

22. The combination with the main gear of a washing machine, of a shaft, gears loosely mounted on said shaft. and meshing with said main gear, a double clutch feathered to saidshaft, a weighted arm adapted to fall to either side from a vertical position, a lost motion connection between said arm and said clutch, a timing gear rigid with the main gear, a second timing gear mounted on said arm and meshing with said first timing gear, a lug or stop on said main gear and a lug or stop on said second timing gear, said stops being arranged so that when they contact said second timing gear will be locked against rotation about its center and the weighted arm will be carried by the main gear to a vertical position whence its fall will shift said clutch. I

23. In a driving and reversing mechanism for the main shaft of a washing machine, a gear secured to said shaft, gears meshing therewith for rotating said shaft in opposite directions, a double clutch for controlling the operation of said latter gears, a lever for moving said clutch, a weighted arm,a lost motion connection between said arm and said lever, a planet gear carried by said arm, a sun gear rigidly connected to the main shaft and meshing with said planet gear, and means for periodically preventing the rotation of said planet gear about its center whereby said arm will be swung and by means of said lost motion connection will shift said clutch.

24:. The combination with the main shaft and gear of a washing machine, of a shaft, gears loosely mounted on said shaft and meshing with the main gear, a clutch device for alternately locking said loose gears to their shaft, a weight adapted to fall from a vertical position and reverse said clutch device, a driven, timing gear and a driving timing gear meshing therew'th for determining the number of revolutions of the main gear before reversal, and means on one of said main gear and said timing gears for moving said weight to a vertical position.

25. The combination with the main shaft and gear of a washing machine, of a shaft, gears loosely mounted on said shaft and meshing with the main gear, a clutch device for alternately locking said loose gears to their shaft, a shifting device for holding stored energy for moving said clutch device from a predetermined position to clutched relationship with one of said loosely mounted gears, timing gears for determining the number of revolutions of the main gear before reversal of said clutch devic and means on said main gear and one of the timing gears for storing energy in said shifting device and for moving said clutch device into said predetermined position.

26. The combination with the main shaft and gear of a washing machine, of a power shaf, gears loosely mounted on said shaft and meshing with said main gear, a double clutch feathered to said power shaft, a lever for moving said clutch, a device having lost motion connection with said lever, a timing gear mounted on said device, a second timing gear meshing therewith and rigid with the main gear, a lug or stop on said main gear and a similar lug or stop on said first timing gear arranged to periodically contact with said main gear so that said first timing gear will be locked against rotation about its center and said device will be actuated by the main gear until the clutch is moved to a predetermined position in which stored energy is provided for operating said lever to connect said clutch with the opposite of said loosely mounted gears.

27. In combination with a reversible gear, a shaft, pinions loosely mounted on said shaft and meshing with said gear, a shiftable clutch adapted to lock one or the other of said pinions to said shaft, an element for actuating said clutch, a lost motion connection between said clutch and said element, a timing gear driven by said reversible gear, a second timing gear meshing with the firstmentioned gear and mounted on said element, a stop movable with the reversible gear, a stop on the second timing gear, said stops being so arranged that contact locks the second timing gear against rotation, whereby said element ing gear and shifts said clutch through the agency of said lost motion device.

28, In a washing machine, a drive shaft, drive pinions loosely mounted thereon, a shiftable clutch. for locking said pinions alternately to said shaft, a case enclosing said shaft, pinions and clutch, a main shaft geared to said pinions, a reversible arm pivotally mounted on said main shaft and means adapted to lock said arm periodically to said shaft, comprising a planet gear mounted on said arm and having a stop, a sun gear driven by said main shaft and meshing with the planet gear and a stop adapted to inter cept the orbit of said first stop, and means for connecting said arm with said clutch so that reversal of said arm reverses said clutch.

29. A reversing mechanism, comprising a reversing clutch, a driven shaft driven in one direction and then in the other in response to the operation of said clutch, a sun gear driven by said shaft, a pivotal member, the pivoted axis of which is co-incident with the axis of said gear, a planet gear journaled on said member and meshing with said sun gear, a lug on said planet gear, a stop rotatable with said driven shaft and adapted to periodically contact with said lug to move said member with said shaft, and means for transmitting the motion of said member to said clutch.

30. A reversing mechanism comprising a reversing clutch, a driven shaft driven in one direction and then in the other by the operation of said clutch, a sun gear rotatable with said shaft, a member pivoted to swing about the axis of said sun gear, a planet gear journaled on said member and meshing with said sun gear, a stop rotatable with said driven shaft, a lug carried by the planet gear and adapted to be periodically engaged by said stop, a pivoted lever for manually shifting said clutch, and a lost-motion connection between said lever and said member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my hand this 9th day of February 1920.

JOHN R. SPENCER.

moves with the revers- 13 

